Young Guns
by UnknownBard
Summary: Xenaverse alternate universe hockey AU. The story starts in a HS varsity team in Lakeville Minnesota, and if all goes well, it should follow our girls Frankie (Xena) and Julia (Gabrielle) throughout their life and professional hockey career.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****Xenaverse alternate universe hockey AU. The story starts in a HS varsity team in Lakeville Minnesota, and if all goes well, it should follow our girls Frankie (Xena) and Julia (Gabrielle) throughout their life and professional hockey career.**

**I feel like this fandom needed more sports AUs, or as us old folks used to call them back in the day: "Ubers." (I'm not even past 30 so take that as you will). And, as I'm a moose riddin', maple syrup slirpin' Canadian, what better time to write a hockey AU fic than hockey season? **

**Warnings: none!**

**Language: nothin' bad.**

* * *

Knuckles turned white as fingers tightly grasped the worn steering wheel beneath them. _What right do they have to control my life? _

Her rapid heartbeat drowned out the soft music playing on the radio. Even Chris Lane's soothing voice couldn't calm her down. Her hazel eyes were trained on the road ahead of her, though the only thing they saw at that moment was red.

She clenched her teeth at the same time her foot pressed down harder on the gas pedal, unbeknownst to the driver. _I could drive out of here, out of this shitty place and never look back. _She was right, she could simply get out of Minnesota and leave with a trail of dust behind her. Leave her family behind and never look back.

She scoffed at her own idea. _As if my truck could hold up any kind of trip without coughing up a spark plug or a piston. _The mental image she conjured up almost made her laugh, yet the memory of the fight she had with her parents this morning quickly shifted her back into rage mode.

_They're my foster family, not my parents. They don't know what it's like to be rejected by your own mother, to be stared at by every uptight preppy kid in this damned school. To overhear their whispers when I walk into a classroom. _

Her foot pressed down on the gas pedal a little more. A gentle fall breeze tussled Julia's loose blonde hair, unfortunately doing nothing to cool her down. It's true what they say: what you lack in height, you make up for in pure rage - as was the case with Julia's lithe 5 foot 3 inches frame.

_How dare they tell me I should make an effort to make friends and to get involved with the other kids at my school when I- _"Oh shit!"

Her curses were followed by the screeching of her tires as they loudly protested being stopped this abruptly. She stared back into equally surprised deep blue eyes, which she recognized immediately.

The Captain of the women's hockey team, Frankie Jones.

Julia bolted out of the car as apologies spewed out of her mouth faster than she was driving her old, blue Chevy. "I am_so _sorry, I didn't see you coming. Are you okay? Did I hit you?"

"S'alright," Frankie's voice was a low drawl, though this time it was shaking with trepidation from the near-miss. After a moment, she righted herself and nodded with a chuckle. "All my limbs are still attached." _Good thing too, the coach would have killed me. _

Julia let out a breath of relief and took a step back, realizing she was standing a bit too close to the hockey player. They have three classes together this year, yet they've never spoken outside of school. That's not exactly uncommon for the small blonde, however, as she rarely spoke to anyone.

She knew Frankie was loved by the entire school, she couldn't imagine the hate she would have gotten if she would have injured their star player. It was a little useless to dwell on that as, by some miracle, the catastrophe was avoided entirely.

They both stood there, eyes locked for a moment before Frankie looked away slightly embarrassed when she realized she was staring. "I, huh, I'll see you in class?"

"Yeah, sure." Julia climbed back into her truck as Frankie rolled away, but instead of driving towards the school, the blonde rested her forehead against the steering wheel, drowning herself in self-pity, and with reason too. The day had just started and it was already the worst she ever had the displeasure of living.

A few more choice words later and Julia finally decided to drive back onto the road and parked her Chevy in its usual spot once she pulled up in the Lakeville North High parking lot.

The brakes squeaked loudly, a few onlookers laughed as they passed by. _Laugh it up assholes. _

The brake pads were not the only thing that needed changing on her truck. Rust started forming at the bottom of both doors, around on each of the rear and front fenders, and the tailgate. The driver's side mirror was also busted, but still usable if she squinted real hard.

Truth be told, Julia ignored every snicker her old Chevy received. She loved her truck. Having a vehicle gave her a sense of freedom that helped her cope with this feeling of being trapped somewhere she didn't belong. It was a harsh thought, perhaps. Though most days, she felt like an alien speaking a completely different language.

She felt a pang of guilt, as her foster family was truly a gift sent from God. Matt and Katherine were a one-child family prior to adopting Julia when he was seven, ten years ago. They live on a small farmhouse just outside of the city limits. It was peaceful at night especially, and it did wonders to quiet Julia's overactive mind.

She hated that the kids at the school knew this intimate information about her life, and most of all, she hated that she still had unanswered questions about her past and about her birth parents.

_Deeply depressing thoughts at 8:10 am. Looks like we're right on schedule, Jewels! _Throwing her backpack over her shoulder, she let out a long sigh and trudged along to her first class, already thinking about the long drive she was going to take tonight.

Everyone was seated when she entered the class, and as her eyes quickly scanned for empty seats, she found that the only empty seat was beside the woman she almost ran over. _Ahaha, very funny, whoever's up there. I'll take a time out now. Is that how it works? _

Julia quietly slid herself into the vacant chair, not wanting to attract any attention or make her presence known. Despite her best attempts Frankie briefly glanced at her offering a smile before she turned her attention to the front of the class.

The first thing she noticed was just how blue the Captain's eyes were up close. No wonder every guy, girl and anyone in between was chasing her with lovesick smiles all around the school. It wasn't just the sports jock effect like the overused cliche (ironic, I know).

Frankie's face had symmetrical and angular lines giving her a strong defined jaw,, perfectly framed by jet black hair that tumbled past broad shoulders.

Maybe Julia was pushing her luck, especially when she realized she was still looking at Frankie's profile. Quickly, she turned around just as she felt the other woman's eyes on her.

Frankie studied Julia's face for a moment. Her features were soft and delicate, but there was an unmistakable sadness to her eyes. She heard the stories about the young woman. However, the rumours the students would gossip about wasn't something the captain of the Panthers was interested in. She'd rather make up her own mind about a person.

Frankie knew very little about the small blonde sitting next to her even if she had technically known her for years. Truth be told, Frankie had always been reluctant to talk to her. Maybe it was the crush she was dead set on keeping to herself, or maybe it was the fact that she would rather be quiet than face certain rejection.

Julia did her best to ignore the pair of eyes she felt on her, and instead focused on the teacher's voice. Mathematics was her strong suit after all, and despite hating the high school experience, she greatly enjoyed the learning that came with it.

* * *

Frankie wandered the busy halls on her way back to her locker, her mind going over all the times she could have started a conversation with Julia but didn't, all while another part of her was glad she didn't make a fool out of herself. This time, at least.

The tall player leaned one shoulder against the metal surface as she quickly entered the number combination to unlock it, when a familiar voice broke Frankie's train of thought: "I heard what happened this morning."

Frankie rolled her eyes and turned to face her good friend, and the Panthers' current goalie, Elizabeth Duncan. Ignoring the comment, the captain shoved the books in her locker hoping that her friend will drop the subject. _I really wish people would mind their damn business. _

"That girl should _not _be allowed to drive a car," Liz remarked, lips pursed in a tight line. Her eyes were trained on Frankie, patiently waiting on a response from the other woman.

"You really shouldn't be making statements about people you don't know." Frankie finally replied, throwing her backpack over her shoulder as they walked together to their next class.

"Frank, the weirdo almost ran you over," Liz pressed a little louder than intended.

"It could have been anyone," replied quickly, brushing off her friend's concern.

Liz narrowed her eyes, folding her arms over her chest. _You can't fool me, captain. _"You're defending her because you've had a crush on little miss country girl for years."

_I swear to God, Liz... _"What the_ hell_ is with you today? I'm fine and clearly, nothing happened. Let it go." Frankie walked a bit faster, forcing her friend to pick up the pace to catch up to her.

Shaking her head, Liz wondered what alternate universe she stepped in which almost running someone over with a truck wasn't a big deal. _She could have ended her career as a player, or worse. _"She's damaged goods, Jones. How about you let it go?"

"Let me worry about that. It's none of your damn business," Frankie practically barked at her friend. She quickly changed the subject, not wanting to get into a screaming match in front of the whole school with the redhead. Again. "Tryouts tonight."

Liz bit her tongue and played along. They really should discuss this more privately anyways. "Should be fun. I'll bet you a 20$ none of them will score on me."

Frankie turned around a wide grin on her face. "Deal," she grasped Liz's hand in her own.

"You'd be a horrible gambler Jones," Liz sighed overdramatically. "You should never bet against your own team."

Liz hasn't been scored on by any girl in the tryout drills for that past three years, so the odds weren't really in Frankie's favour, but she'd love to see someone crumble down the goalie's ego which, somewhere along the way, transformed into a well-fortified wall.

"Someday Red, a puck's gonna get past your mitt and I'll be there to say I told you so."

"Fuck off, Frank."

"Love you too, Liz." Frankie winked at her friend, who scrunched up her nose in mock disgust.

The pair separated with laughter as they both entered their respective classrooms. Elizabeth was definitely rough around the edges, and a bit of a prick, but she definitely had her team's back when they needed her the most.

In a breakaway situation, they needed a headstrong goalie who wasn't going to crumble under the pressure. Liz didn't break, she zoned in on the puck and never let it leave her sight until it was in her mitt.

* * *

Frankie sat on the benches inside the arena where she and the rest of her team were gathered to watch the tryout drills, and hopefully, welcome to some talent on the Lakeville Panthers (and maybe make 20$).

Out of all her team, she enjoyed the tryouts the most. There was something thrilling about hunting for undiscovered talent. Even if technically the coach was the one doing the scouting, she greatly enjoyed looking for player's strengths and weaknesses on the ice.

Having the big 'C' on her jersey was much more than just a testament to her skill on the ice, she was a good leader and managed to bring a whole locker room together with no effort at all. Some of them were harder to wrangle than others, but she had her ways.

Frankie loved to torment those who came in to practice late, giving them a series of thirty pushups to do. It was a way to deter them from coming in late in the first place, even if it was something she enjoyed enforcing, especially when they begged her.

The captain would simply stand there with her arms crossed over her chest, raising an eyebrow at them until their resolve cracked and they followed through with the punishment. Maybe it was the power trip she enjoyed, or maybe it was the fact that it did actually teach the girls some discipline, and God knew they needed a whole lot of it.

Liz approached the benches with a somewhat shocked look on her face. "Ladies, you're not gonna believe who I just saw in the line for tryouts."

Frankie's curiosity was piqued, Liz rarely exaggerates anything. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to tease the goalie. "Oh please tell us, oh great Red one. Is it Crosby? Price? Ovechkin?"

Liz snickered at the captain, _smartass. _"I'll give you a hint: small, blonde, and a big weirdo."

"For fuck's sake, she has a name, Liz." Frankie rolled her eyes as some of the girls teasingly ruffled her hair.

"You would know," Elizabeth retorted quickly, fishing for a reaction out of her captain - and she got one as if on cue.

Frankie damn near growled as she closed the distance between her in Liz in just a few seconds and pinned the woman down with her stare. Both players stood there in a good 'ol western staredown as the rest of the team watched from their seats, wondering who would break first.

_She just wants a rise out of you, don't fall for it. _The captain replaced her scowl with a good-natured grin, "you know what Red? Make the bet 40$ that Julia scores on you."

The bench got quiet for a second before shouts and laughter erupted from the whole team.

Liz locked eyes with the taller woman, the corner of her lips lifted in a confident smirk. "You're on, baby. That's gonna be an easy 40!" _Always bettin' on the wrong girl, Frank._

Frankie simply shrugged her shoulders in a 'anything can happen' fashion. She quickly glanced at Julia who was just about to step on the ice. She looked uncomfortable under all the hockey gear, but confident on her skates. _This should be good. _Frankie sat back down and leaned forward in her seat like she was watching the last faceoff in a tied playoff game.

* * *

Julia stepped onto the ice, somewhat reluctantly. The rink and all the gear sitting under an unmarked jersey were unfamiliar, but not her skates, and certainly not the ice under her feet.

The arena was standard as far as junior varsity teams went. The rink took up most of the space, boards and glass surrounding it to protect the spectators from flying frozen biscuits. The right wall was decorated with their numerous championship wins. A bit further on that wall, near the away goalie's net, was the gigantic scoreboard donning the Panthers black and red logo.

Minnesota was as crazed about hockey as their very close Canadian neighbours. Every kid was brought up on skates, and she was no exception. Her foster dad Matt skated with her ever since her adoption, and he always had a rink set up where Julia would practice slamming pucks in empty nets when she was feeling particularly angry.

She loved skating, she loved the sport, but the team aspect always frightened her. It's the only reason there was a lump in her throat as she stepped onto the ice, and why her heart raced from the fear of having to perform in front of a crowd of people - especially when so much as on the line for her future.

Matt would always try to convince her to join the team and show them that 'lightning-quick wrist shot' that made him sound like an NHL broadcaster. She would have never accepted to join if not for the ultimatum she faced this morning: Hockey or Military service.

She turned towards the bench of players where the Panthers team was seated to watch the show. Her eyes drifted to brilliant blue ones and the smile she received somehow stilled her nerves, at least for a bit. There were about ten other girls trying out. Girls she didn't recognize, which did nothing to ease her nerves.

Julia desperately needed to perform and get the coach to notice her, she wasn't ready to head off to basic training and run around in the mud with a rifle and 60-pound gear on her back. She'd rather do something she actually enjoyed, even if it meant leaving her well-cocooned comfort zone.

Looking away from the ice, Julia glanced over at the Panther's head coach, who funnily enough, looked like a history teacher more than a hockey coach. Short, glasses and khaki pants. She heard good things about him from her father, so she wasn't too worried about his deceiving appearance.

The first drill was easy, they were asked to skate around the two face-off circles on either side of the net, then up and down the ice quickly. Julia did so fairly quickly as if it were routine, and it definitely was. She was small and quick on her feet, and the coach definitely took notice of her speed.

The passing drills were just as easy, like all the warm summer winter mornings she'd spend outside with her father, sliding up and down their homemade rink, minus the boards.

The coach blew the whistle and informed them to take a drink of water and come back on the ice in five. Breathing hard, Julia took off one glove and tucked it under her arm as she accepted the water bottle that was offered to her.

Only after taking a very large gulp did she realize Frankie was standing in front of her with her trademark toothy smile. "I didn't know you played." She was wondering why Julia hadn't talked about it this morning, then again, it's not like they were that close.

"Just for fun, I guess." Julia shrugged it off, not exactly enjoying the scrutiny of those blue eyes on her at that particular moment.

"For fun?" Frankie exclaimed, "you're killing it!" If anything, Frankie's odds of winning that bet greatly increased. "How come you never came to our tryouts before?"

"It just...wasn't my thing." It sounded more like a question than a statement, and Julia knew she was busted.

"What changed?" Frankie pried, curiosity getting the better of her.

_My parents forcing me, literally. _"Right time, right place."

For a moment, Frankie stared at her with a doubtful look but she let it go. Nodding, she stepped a bit closer to the smaller woman and whispered: "when you get to the scoring drills, Liz's top right is weak."

Julia nodded as Frankie winked at her before turning around and returning to her team.

_Seriously what's going on? Is someone messing around with the timelines again? This day doesn't make any sense. _

Julia let out a shaky breath before hopping back onto the ice, the sound of the freshly sharpened blades cutting into the ice with ease. That was a sound she would never get tired of.

They followed the coach's instructions, lining up near the blue line to take turns slapping pucks at the goalie in hopes of scoring a goal. So far, the Panther's goalie was blocking every shot easily, like a cat playing with a ping pong ball for fun.

Julia felt her stomach tighten as it was her turn to shoot. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward on her stick, eyes darting between at all the unprotected space around Liz where she could throw the puck.

When the whistle blew, Julia sprang forward rapidly, pushing the puck forward with the blade of her stick and skated down the ice with focused intensity.

Liz moved forward to block the attacker's view of the net, slowly backing up in tandem with Julia's rapid advance, though she quickly noticed that she had underestimated the blonde's speed on the ice.

Julia moved on the goalie's right, quickly feigned left, her eyes glued to the opening top right. Pressing down on her left hand, she transferred her weight on one foot as she sent a blistering wrist shot top shelf. The puck made no sound as it hit the back of the net just above Liz's right shoulder, exactly where Julia aimed it. She continued around the back of the net, laughing to herself as she heard Liz's angry curses. _Got ya._

The whole team erupted in cheers, Frankie sharing fist bumps with the two players sitting next to her. Though, to be quite honest, she was as stunned as everyone else in the arena. _With a wrist shot like that, there's no way she didn't know she was good enough to make the team. _

"Good shot, kiddo," the Coach congratulated Julia, excitement written all over his face.

She nodded, accepting the compliment as she came to a stop at the back of the line. Turning slightly, she caught blue eyes staring back at her. She smiled at the captain who returned the gesture.

_Maybe this won't be so bad afterall. _

* * *

Julia sat in her Chevy parked just outside of the school, her body still buzzing from the tryouts. Being the only player who actually managed to outplay the goalie, she had a good chance to actually make the team. That would get her parents off of her back for a while, she thought happily.

"Hey, Frankie!" Julia shouted as she spotted the woman rolling her way. "Care for a lift?"

Frankie easily glided towards the open driver's seat window, smiling. "You don't have to."

Julia shrugged, returning the lazy smile. "It'll be safer if you're in the car with me and not in front of it."

Frankie threw her head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Can't argue with that." She rolled around to the passenger's side and hoped in the Chevy truck.

"Good moves out there," Frankie broke the somewhat uncomfortable silence as Julia pulled out of the parking lot.

"Thanks for the tip, by the way."

"I told you where to shoot, you took the shot, not me." _And it was one hell of a shot. _

"She didn't look too happy," Julie mentioned, trying her best to hide her pride but failing miserably.

Frankie chuckled. "She'll get over it." _Maybe. _The goalie barely looked at anyone after the tryouts, she didn't say anything as she hastily made her way out of the locker room.

"So, why is now the right time?" The captain asked, referring to their earlier conversation in the arena.

Julia sighed, looking down at her hands on the steering wheel as she came to a stop on a red light. "Well," she started slowly, not used to sharing such personal details of her life with anyone besides her foster family. For some odd reason, she felt her story would be safe with her. "My parents are tired of my moppy ass doing nothing around the house. My sister is more into the artistic side of skating, so they gave me an ultimatum: enlist in the military or try to get an athletic scholarship."

Frankie's eyes were glued on Julia's profile, much like they were this morning. It was a tough situation to be in, she thought to herself, but it seems the woman was making the best of it. "For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice."

_I think so too. _"I guess we'll find out soon."

There was a long silence again, but this time it felt most comfortable as both women were deeply preoccupied with their own thoughts. Frankie only spoke to give the blonde directions to her home.

She thanked Julia as they were just pulling up in front of her two-story home.

The driver smiled, albeit a little shyly. "It's the least I could do. I'll see you in class."

"I'll save you a seat!" The captain jumped out of the car and gave the blonde a lazy two-finger salute.

Julia chuckled as she watched the tall woman awkwardly go up the stairs of the front porch of her home with the rollerblades still on her feet.

She smiled as she drove back home, quietly humming along to Chris Lane's smooth voice. She even thought, despite her own protesting, that she actually enjoyed the presence of another human being that wasn't her parents or her sister.

_Mom is totally gonna hit me with the 'I told you so' when I get home, isn't she?_

Julia groaned, suddenly wanting to take the scenic route to delay that conversation as long as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I changed the title, don't be alarmed. I think it sounds a bit less cheesy...a bit. Anyways, if anyone is interesting in being the beta reader for this story, holla at me! Happy readin'!**

**Warnings: none!**

**Language: nothin' bad.**

* * *

Julia was quietly washing the dishes after dinner. The fatigue from the tryouts kicked in and she felt her muscles protest painfully as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. _That's going to be so sore in the morning._ Even when playing pick-up games at local rinks, or assaulting the net with pucks in the backyard, she never felt this kind of muscle fatigue.

From the corner of her eye, Julia saw her mother approach her from the side, who then placed a delicate hand on her back. Julia turned the water off, shifted to face her only to see her father had also joined them and was standing behind the Island across from her. He leaned down on his forearms, giving Julia a small smile.

This was her parent's way to have their 'serious talks', and the young woman instantly felt like a cornered animal desperately seeking a way out. _Great, they probably want to chat about the tryouts. _Julia didn't understand why she suddenly felt nervous, it's not like she fell face-first on the ice or did anything to come off like an incompetent player.

"Don't worry about the dishes. I'll finish them later, honey." Her mother said in a soft tone.

"Is this an intervention? I swear I'll lay off the chocolate muffins." She put her hands up in mock surrender as she moved towards the counter to face a chuckling Matt. Making light of the situation was much better than all the scenarios her mind conjured up.

Katherine approached the Island, an apologetic smile on her face. She glanced at Matt briefly, who nodded at her. "I just wanted to apologize for this morning. We didn't want to push you to do something you don't like, we just want you to think about your future."

Her foster parents were truly a sweet couple and the reason she often felt like an outsider was absolutely not from their lack of trying to change that. It was perhaps a feeling that stemmed from deeper, unearthed feelings within the young woman. "I just don't know if it's for me. I love hockey, I just- what if I'm not good enough?"

It broke Matt's heart to see her second guess herself this way - but there was no way she'd gain confidence if she didn't at least make an effort. "You have talent, Julia. I saw it the first time you put skates on, and I see it today."

Julia felt her mother place her arm around her shoulders, "we know you can make it, and we'll be here to support you."

_Or they'll be here to watch me fail and be destined to work at a dead-end job for the rest of my life. Hey, maybe I could be the Zamboni driver! _

Matt stayed silent for a moment. "Just try it out, and if it doesn't work out we'll never talk about it again. Deal?"

Julia smiled, and for the first time in a while, it wasn't forced as her parent's words quieted her fears. At least for now. "I like the sound of that," she agreed.

"So, how did the tryouts go?" Matt asked, enthusiasm in his voice. He noticed Julia had come home from school with a rare smile on her face, and even if she would never admit it he knew she had a great time out on the ice. She always seemed happiest when skating and playing hockey.

"I scored on the goalie," Julia beamed proudly. "I think the coach was impressed."

"That's my girl!" A grin spread across Matt's lips as he leaned forward, sharing a double high five with the shorter girl.

"Great job, sweetie!" Katherine bent down and gently laid a kiss on top of Julia's head.

"When's your first practice?" Her father asked, a gleam visible in his eye. Right now, he was far more excited about seeing his daughter playing for the Panthers than she was.

Julia rolled her eyes, albeit affectionately. "You know as well as I do that it takes a few weeks for the coaches to make their lines. I won't know if I made it until then."

"Sweetheart," Matt started, almost as if he was about to lecture her, "if you showed them that lightning-quick wrist shot, then you made it."

_I knew he'd say that. _"We'll see."

Smiling, he caught a glimpse of the time on his wristwatch. "Alright, go get your sister, the game's starting soon!"

The Wilds were playing Columbus tonight. And as was their ritual, the whole family would gather in the living room and eat entirely too many nachos as they cheered for their home team.

Matt watched his oldest daughter ran up the stairs and he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he was pushing her too hard. That seeing his girl on the ice was his dream and not hers.

Though he knew Julia always had issues adjusting amongst her peers. Until the day she'd actually let herself be happy and realize her potential, he was going to be right there beside her reminding her every single day.

* * *

Exactly a week later, Julia received a call from the head coach to announce her the good news that she had been picked to join the Lakeville Panthers. She would start on the second line as a right-winger.

Big changes had befallen the tiny blonde as her routine was turned upside down. Done were the days of eating lunch in her car alone, watching the other students mingle in silence.

Wherever she would sit, the whole team would join. They stuck together like a family and that was something she understood. It took some getting used to, however, but Julia did enjoy their company. For the most part. Some players were more reluctant than others about welcoming the new player with open arms.

She and Frankie got a lot closer in that short period of time as well, and it was something that surprised both of them, yet at the same time, it felt quite natural. They would save each other seats so that they could sit together in class. And giving Frankie a ride home was now practically a ritual.

Sometimes they would even simply drive around going nowhere, listening to Julia's playlist in silence after a particularly draining practice. It was a kind of friendship the young player had never really known outside of the time she spent with her younger sister. It was comfortable and it almost felt like they had always been friends - like they've known each other for years.

Two weeks had passed since Julia joined the team and it was their last practice before the first game of the season. They were facing a rivalry team from St-Paul, and the energy on the ice was unmistakable. It was charged and Frankie relished every second of it.

Julia, on the other hand, was growing more and more anxious as the game date grew closer. _What if I miss a pass? Or get a bad penalty? _

Her name was called by Frankie and as he looked up she saw a puck coming her way. Their coach made them run a routine passing drill to warm up, offensive and defensive lines alike were all mixed out onto the ice.

She noticed the intensity in Frankie's blue eyes. She seemed to anticipate the game with confidence as if she knew exactly what was going to happen. Frankie's energy was infectious, and Julia wasn't the only one who was affected.

"Earth to Moore," Frankie waved a gloved hand in front of Julia's eyes, "your captain's calling."

"Ugh, again? Let me just quickly send it to voicemail," Julia shot back with a grin.

The coach blew the whistle before Frankie could comment, "Moore, Jones, Eriksson, I want to see a rush in the offensive zone. Let's go ladies!"

Quickly getting into position, Frankie glanced at the smaller girl with a smirk. "If they steal the puck you owe me ice cream."

"How is that fair?" Julia complained, albeit needlessly, as it didn't seem to bother the captain one bit.

"Less talking more passing Moore," was Frankie's half-serious reply, yet the smirk on her lips was easily noticeable.

"Slave driver," Julia chuckled as she leaned down on her stick and made the first pass to Frankie, who caught it easily on the blade of her stick.

The attackers were composed of Julia as the right-winger, Frankie as their center, and one of the left-wingers on the third line, starting their offence between both blue lines as if they had just won a faceoff.

They rushed down the ice, the players made a few solid passes in an attempt to disrupt the defender's position and created an opening in front of Liz's well-guarded net.

Just as Julia was about to make a pass to Frankie who was positioned near the net, and was no doubt talking shit to Liz about the goal she was just about to score, one of the defender's stick lifted her own and stole the poke right from under her nose.

"Moore!" He blew the whistle, shouting over to the new player, "protect that puck like it's your firstborn child!"

"Got it, coach," Julia grumbled under her breath. Getting the puck stolen was something, but owing Frankie ice scream? She'd never hear the end of it.

"You owe me." Frankie grinned as she skated past her.

_See? She's already gloating._ "Don't get used to it," Julia retorted and narrowed her eyes at the captain pointedly.

* * *

Julia wasn't in the habit of eating ice cream this late in October when the wind was cold and growing harsher as the days went by. Yet, here she was, seated in her truck with the heat on full blast as Frankie snapped a photo of them to post on the team's webpage.

"Adding insult to injury." Julia pretended to feign hurt, yet her smile betrayed her.

Frankie slid her phone face down between them and shrugged with a not so innocent smirk. "It's for posterity."

"Sure it is," Julia narrow her eyes at the woman. "You _ass_."

Frankie scoffed at the comment, however greatly enjoyed their banter. "Is that any way to talk to your Captain?"

"You're not the captain of anything in _my_ Chevy," Julia pointed out, doing her best to sound stern.

"Whatever you say, Moore." Frankie made a point of taking Julia's phone and putting their driving playlist on. Yep, _we have a playlist now. Liz is never gonna get off my ass about that. If she finds out. _Though the young player knew it was a matter of 'when' and not 'if'.

She noticed Julia was rather silent. Usually, she would happily sing along to every damn country song she coerced Frankie into adding on there. Before she could voice her concern, however, Julia finally broke the silence.

"Ready for the game?" Julia asked in a somewhat timid voice. She stared down at the almost finished ice cream cone in her hand as if it contained the answer to life's deepest questions.

_Ah, first-game jitters. _"'Course! We mop the floor with 'em every time we play. It shouldn't be a hard game." Frankie hoped her encouragements would help ease the blonde's worries.

"They have decent players," Julia reminded Frankie. She had done her research on the enemy team late last night with her father, who somehow already knew who to watch out for.

Frankie nodded, "Yeah, but their defence cracks under pressure. Crash the net hard, shoot every time you get the puck and you'll do just fine."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Even if Julia knew Frankie was right, it did nothing to ease her nerves.

"That's what a captain's for."

Matching Frankie's grin, Julia silently thought that in good company, eating ice cream in October wasn't so bad after all. Until she felt cold, frozen ice cream on the tip of her nose.

"FRANKIE!" Julia yelped, which was quickly drowned by Frankie's almost maniacal laughter.

* * *

Julia sat on the bench and leaned forward as she intently watched the action in front of her. Being able to see a game up close from the player's bench was so much better, the blonde noticed.

The puck dropped and Frankie quickly passed it to her right-winger, who just as quickly passed it back to the captain. She crossed the blue line then shielded the puck from the defender while she continued to skate down the offensive zone.

Glancing to her left, Frankie spotted her wingers near the two face-off circles on each side. She quickly stopped in the middle of the ice, smirking at the defender while she cranked a quick slapshot.

The St-Paul Saints goalie made a routine save with the pad, but the Panther's left-wingers, Stacy Young, was on the rebound in an instant. She quickly feigned a shot and passed it back to Frankie who was ready for the one-timer. The puck flew in the back of the net like a bullet.

The Panther's goal horn sounded as Frankie celebrated her first goal of the season with a series of pushups.

Once she stood up and joined her team, Stacy patted the woman's backside with her stick. "Nice shot." There was a slight rosy tint to the left winger's usually honey-coloured skin. The two girls had been on the same line for several years and had noticeable chemistry on the ice. However, one of them seemed to think there was more than just on-ice chemistry between the two, and unfortunately, it wasn't our tall captain.

"Nice pass," Frankie replied with a smile. She skated towards the player's bench, sharing a fist bump with the entire team who had stood up to congratulate her.

"Keep it up, Jones." The coach joined in on the celebration. There was a large grin spread across his face as he slapped his hand down on his captain's shoulder.

Frankie caught Julia's smile out of the crowd of players and sent a wink her way after she bumped her glove with hers. Hoping over the half-board, Frankie took a seat next to Julia.

"You made that look easy," Julia said, impressed by the play she saw rehearsed about a hundred times in practice. Seeing it in action in an actual game, however, was something else entirely.

Frankie shrugged, humbly deflecting the compliment. "It was a team effort."

"Second line, you're up!" The coach yelled from behind his seated players, breaking both Frankie and Julia out of their staring contest - something that had become a common occurrence between the tow.

"Go get 'em!" Frankie shouted as Julia exited the Panther's bench and skated to center ice for the face-off.

Julia took a deep breath and reminded herself of what Frankie had said last night. _Crash the net, and shoot the puck every time you have it. _

The puck dropped, and the Saints won the faceoff. Julia quickly covered the opposing team's left-winger, skating backwards while she kept an eye on the puck carrier.

A pass came her way and she caught it on her stick. She heard some cheers from the bench as the coach excitedly yelled 'skate, skate, skate!'.

Julia broke away from the defenders without any issue as they weren't prepared for the sudden turnover. Finding herself alone in front of the goalie, time seemed to slow down as focused eyes zeroed in on the open space between the goalie's left pad and the net's vertical bar.

Leaning on her left foot, Julia pressed her left hand down on her stick and sent the puck flying in the back of the Saints net. The horn sounded once again as the goal put the Panthers up by two in the first period.

Frustrated, the goalie turned around and chugged some water, then spat it back on the ice right away. Two goals in one minute was not a good look in a season opener against a rivalry team - especially not against a brand new player.

Julia threw her hands in the air as she circled behind the opposition's net. She tried to find Matt and Katherine in the crowd, but they were lost in the sea of cheerings students and parents.

Julia felt bodies crash into her as her line congratulated her on scoring her first official goal. She watched as Frankie hopped on the ice to grab the puck from the referee, who chucked it at her. The captain caught it with one hand, then skated back onto the Panther's bench and handed it to their coach who marked the date on it.

Julia made her way back to the bench as the coach wanted to give their best offensive lines a bit of a breather before the second half of the first period. He placed his better defensive players on the third and fourth lines, a great way to keep the Saints from scoring while keeping their lead.

"You made that look easy," Frankie said with a large, toothy grin.

"Shut up." Julia chuckled, teasingly bumping her shoulder into the captain's side. Her heart was still pounding in her chest as the adrenaline rush made its way through her entire body. She wondered if there was a better feeling than scoring a goal in an actual game and if she would get more opportunities to score tonight.

Little did she know, the answer to both of her questions was a definitive yes. One assist and a hat trick later, the last horn sounded and the Panthers won the season's opening game with a decisive 5-1 final score.

* * *

Frankie took a seat beside Julia, the Chevy already warmed up. Both of their hockey bags had been thrown onto the backseat. "That was one hell of a debut, Moore."

"It was incredible," she turned to Frankie, her brilliant smile reached her eyes. "Does it always feel like this?"

"After scoring and winning? Definitely."

"I feel so energized like I could-" Julia tried to describe her feelings, but couldn't find the right words.

"Shoot some pucks for hours?" Frankie finished the other woman's thoughts, knowing exactly what the blonde was feeling.

Julia simply nodded.

"We got a net at my house," Frankie offered and raised an inquiring eyebrow at the other woman.

Julia didn't protest as she put the truck in drive and rode out of the school's parking lot without saying another word, and followed the now-familiar route to Frankie's home.

Once they arrived at their destination, they quickly set-up the net in the otherwise quiet street. At this time in the evening, there was barely anyone outside. Especially this time of year when the sun had already set three hours prior.

Julia always found nighttime peaceful, more so after an evening of hearing excited shouts and goal horns blasting in her ears.

Both women ran down the imaginary ice rink, side by side, passing and shooting the orange rubber puck like there actually was a goalie to outsmart. Never in a million years did Julia ever thought she would have found a companion, a teammate and a good friend all in one person.

Three short weeks have passed and she couldn't remember what it was like not hearing Frankie's laughter every day, or hearing the low tone of voice she used when teasing her relentlessly.

Gone were the days she saw herself as an outsider. It almost felt like Julia had been watching people live their lives while her own seemed to be on a standstill - unmoving and frozen in time.

But right now, her life was moving fast and she barely saw the days go by. And though not all her fears were forgotten, most of them were ignored in favour of savouring the happiness she felt at that moment.

"Do I have something on my face?" Frankie asked when she felt Julia's eyes on her. They both stood in front of the empty need, catching their breath after running up and down the road more times than they could count.

"No, sorry." Julia was grateful that the night's sky was covering her rosy cheeks. "I'm just glad we did this."

"Yeah," Frankie drew a long breath as she leaned on the blade of her stick. Her legs were already on fire from the game, she knew her whole body was going to scream at her tomorrow morning with the added impromptu training session. Oddly enough, there was no other place she'd rather be right now.

"Me too," she added after a long pause, choosing to hold Julia's gaze. There was a sense of familiarity as she stared into the smaller woman's emerald green eyes that she couldn't quite pinpoint. It was eerie, yet comforting. A conundrum the young woman couldn't even begin to try and explain, let alone fully understand.

Perhaps Frankie thought she was simply losing it since she had seen the woman every day for the past three weeks.

Julia leaned on the net, wondering where that sudden burst of energy came from. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime," was the captain's honest reply.

They shared a quick fist bump, their smiles matched perfectly as silence fell upon them once more. Julia wondered for a moment what she was hiding behind those bright blue eyes.

"I'll hold you to that," Julia finally replied, never taking her eyes off of the taller woman. If Frankie was uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Julia's gaze, she didn't show it.

"You better." Frankie took a step forward and leaned down on her elbow against the net's horizontal bar, mirroring Julia's position.

No words were spoken, but it was crystal clear that neither woman wanted this evening to come to an end.

"Show me that wrist shot again." Somehow Frankie knew that Julia saw right through her. It was an excuse to get her to stay a little longer, but she didn't care.

Julia raised an eyebrow, something she had learned from her new friend. "You're lucky you're my friend. I usually charge."

Frankie laughed. "Damn, slow down _Hollywood_."

Julia shrugged, shamelessly. "Talent knows no bounds."

Frankie moved away from the goal, motioning toward it with her arm, "the net is yours, M'lady."

Julia gave the captain a really sloppy curtsy while she took a few steps back and got into her shooting position; knees bent, body slightly hunched forward. Julia usually couldn't stand when someone watched her practice shooting, but having Frankie there was almost soothing. _I must be going insane. _

The puck hit the net from various angles, as Julia worked to get more power and accuracy out of every shot. Even if the street puck was lighter than the usual frozen biscuits.

Frankie watched the display with an amused grin, wondering how and what possessed the young girl to hide this talent for so long.

Neither girl knew what time it was when Julia left, but if their consistent yawns were any indication, it was getting pretty late for a post-game, middle of the week evening. And even though Julia could feel her body's exhaustion, her mind was firing on all cylinders. The drive home was spent singing along word for word to one of her favourite songs, the volume so loud her speakers crackled from time to time.

_Yep, definitely losing it. _Not that she made any effort to hide the smile on her face as she hummed the rest of the song all the way home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Still looking for a beta! If you're interested, shoot me a message: Goddrivesajeep **

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Julia was laying on her bed, back against the headboard. There was a soft smile on her lips as green eyes were glued onto her phone's screen as she read over the message she had just received.

Frankie: _Look, all I'm saying is, our offensive lines better do something. 1-6, really? They're the worst team in the NHL right now. _

Julia was just as bummed as her captain was. The Wilds were not doing well this season even if it had just been two months. Their home team had decent players, it just seemed that they didn't click on the ice and couldn't hold the offence long enough to really be a threat.

The blonde typed: _Parise, Zucker and Koivu are solid. They just need to play with more energy. _

Frankie: _A lot more. I know this is not the playoffs, but come on. Someone needs to yell at them for a few hours._

Julia chuckled, quickly responding to the message with: _Throw in a few slaps in the face and we're golden._

Frankie: _This right there, is why we're friends._

Julia stared down at that last message for a while. She wanted to continue the conversation, but couldn't find something to keep it going. The pair had been talking about the Wilds for over an hour now. As if on cue, her sister burst into her room.

Jennifer was fourteen years old and already stood taller than her sister. Her hashy brown hair was tied in a french braid that stopped in the middle of her back. She had Katherine's features; soft round face and a small nose. Though she definitely inherited Matt's hazel eyes.

It used to bother Julia growing up, how she didn't look like her parents, but she was taught rather quickly that being part of a family isn't all dependent on shared blood and genetics.

"What is that smell?" The young girl said as her eyes frantically scanned the room for the source of the offensive smell. Jennifer's eyes fell on the half-opened hockey bag, and immediately she understood the gravity of the situation.

"Mom told you to wash your hockey equipment like a week ago," the young girl huffed.

Julia grinned, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I like it. It smells like victory and scored goals."

Jennifer scrunched up her nose in disgust, "you're deranged."

"Big words for a little girl."

"Who are you calling _little_, bite-sized?"

Julia sighed and placed her phone down on the bed beside her. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the taller girl. "Did you just come here to make fun of me, or did you want something?"

Jennifer mirrored her sister's position, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm looking for my orange hoodie."

"And I would have it because...?"

"Just checking," the younger woman defended.

Julia turned her attention back to her phone only to find Frankie blowing up her messages.

_You're ignoring me now?_

_I am your captain young lady._

_Fine, that's cool, just keep on casually ghosting me._

Laughing, Julia replied: _I'm too Hollywood for you now, 9 goals in 4 games. With those points, I have a chance to get drafted in the NHL._

Frankie: _Unless you grow a dick anytime soon, that ain't happenin'. _

Julia burst out laughing and completely ignored the look her sister was giving her, as she loudly rummaged through Julia's discarded pile of clothes in the corner of her room.

Jennifer rolled her eyes, annoyed that the only time her sister was in a good mood was when she was watching hockey, playing hockey or talking to Frankie. "Who are you talking to? Let me guess...Frankie?"

"Yes, and?" Julia replied sharply, almost as a warning. A warning the youngest Moore certainly did not heed.

Jennifer rolled her eyes again just as she fished out a bright orange sweater from the pile. _I knew it. _"Oh nothing, just wondering when you two are going to make it official."

Julia narrowed her eyes dangerously at her sister, silently begging her to choose her next words carefully. "You have the sweater, now leave me alone."

"Just pointing out the facts sis," Jen threw the hoodie over her shoulder and walked towards the door. "Everybody says she has a crush on you."

"Get out!" Julia yellowed as she reached behind her to grab a pillow, and chucked it hard at her sister's retreating form. _Do they really say that? _Julia rolled her eyes, coming to the conclusion that her sister was simply saying that to torment her.

It was truly hard for the petite blonde to believe that the gorgeous captain, who practically had the whole school falling in love with her, would even want to be with someone who, just a couple of months ago, was a nobody.

In what universe does the popular jock fall for the outcast? Perhaps Julia hasn't seen a lot of movies aimed at her age demographics, because that's usually how the overused trope was formulated (again, ironic, I know).

Before Julia had joined the Panthers Frankie was one of the few students who didn't stare at her indifferently. She didn't scowl as she walked past her, or whisper hurtful rumours. She had always been nice the few times they had actually spoken, and Julia thought it was one of the main reasons they were so close now.

Not to mention that they were on the same varsity team and spent every waking moment together. It had become harder and harder for Julia to ignore the warm feeling in her gut whenever the captain stared at her with that stunning smile of hers.

Her phone vibrated against her thigh and pulled the young player out of her thoughts. Embarrassed though she was alone, she glanced at the time displayed on the phone's locked screen. _Shit, I need to get going. _

Julia quickly typed a message to Frankie and sent it: _Be there in 15._

Frankie's reply was almost immediate: _Don't run over anyone on your way here._

Julia rolled her eyes but chuckled as she got up to get dressed. She found clean faded jeans and her usual flannel shirt she layered over a simple white t-shirt. Quickly, Julia stared at her reflection as she braided her hair loosely. She then threw her hockey bag over her shoulder and practically ran out of her room continued down the stairs.

Passing by the kitchen, Julia grabbed one of the Eggos that was on her sister's plate and took a gigantic bite out of it. She ignored Jennifer's snide comments and shouted: "Bye mom, bye dad," over her shoulder.

Her fall jacket was still wide open when she stepped outside. The cold morning breeze was still soft and not harsh like it would be in a few months from now. Though, she much preferred colder weather. It meant she didn't have to clean the horse's stables in scorching heat and oppressive humidity.

The Moore farm was fairly small, though their land stretched over a few acres. There was a two-horse stable behind the house, next to it a barn that doubled as a garage. Next to it was a sizeable round-shaped pen for the horses.

The greenhouse was attached to the back of the house, though that was more of a hobby than anything else. The garden usually gave them more than the family of four could eat, so they would sell the rest of the fresh fruits and vegetables to their neighbours.

Julia threw her hockey bag in the trunk of her Chevy and made a mental note to clean all of her equipment this weekend. _Maybe Jen's right for once. _She shifted the old truck in drive and sped out of the driveway. The rest of the drive to Frankie's house was spent with Julia thinking about a certain hockey player.

_Why are country songs always about love and relationships? _Julia was quick to blame the music playing in her car for her thoughts always revolving around the captain, despite her best efforts not to. Well, perhaps she was fooling herself about that too.

Julia pulled up in front of Frankie's house as she did every morning for a few weeks now. The tall woman stood on the front porch, her hockey bag slung over her shoulder, as she leaned down not the railing, on her forearms. She looked up from her phone's screen as she heard the familiar sound of the truck's loud engine, a soft smile on her lips.

Their eyes met and instantly lit up, Julia suddenly felt like stepping on the gas and driving until she forgot about her feelings. Unfortunately, she feared her feelings would follow her anyways, so she decided to pretend like she almost didn't just freak out and smiled back at Frankie as she opened the passenger's door and slipped inside the warm cab.

"Mornin'," Julia greeted and drove away as soon as Frankie's door closed. The captain wore her a pair of dark jeans, a grey and red Panther's hoodie under a thin windbreaker. She also had her Wilds beanie on, and her cheeks were rosy, indicating she had been outside for a little while waiting for the blonde.

"Julia," Frankie snapped her fingers in front of her woman's face, chuckling lightly.

_Dammit. _Julia looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I got you breakfast." Frankie knew for a fact the woman would usually skip breakfast - which the captain hated.

"Oh, thanks." _If I'm going to keep acting like a junior with a crush, let me just exile myself right now. _"You didn't have to."

"You're always stealing my snacks before lunch. This should hold you off for a while." _Maybe. God only knows where she puts all the food she eats during the day. _Frankie once saw her scarf down two full-sized burgers before she even took two bites out of hers.

Julia laughed, knowing fully well that her hunger was indeed unquenchable. "Yes, well _someone _keeps me occupied with her morning texts."

Frankie rose a brow at the driver, "learn to multitask."

Julia realized she wasn't winning this exchange, and promptly surrendered. "Fine." She glanced at the paper bag sitting on the center console between them. The amazing smell coming from it making it hard for her to focus on anything else. "What's in the bag?"

"Scrambled eggs with bacon."

"Gimme. _Right_ now," Julia demanded, opening her mouth as if to command Frankie to feed her.

"You're driving," the captain pointed out with a throaty chuckle. _I swear all she thinks about is food._

"So?" Julia asked defiantly.

"When I said 'learn how to multitask', I didn't mean drive _and_ eat." Frankie wanted to make another joke about her occasionally dangerous driving but she didn't want to actually anger her.

Julia pouted but continued to occasional glance at the bag. Her stomach was practically screaming at her to eat something, anything, right now. "Please?" She pressed and took her attention off of the road briefly to give the dark-haired woman her best pleading gaze.

"No!" Frankie laughed out loud and pushed the woman's chin with her fingers so she was staring at the road once again. "Drive."

With an over-exaggerated huff, Julia continued to pout and replied: "If I die from starvation it'll be your fault."

Frankie shrugged and feigned indifference. "Fine by me, I'll even write your eulogy. It'll start with: 'this woman was a gigantic pain in my ass every single day'."

"Stop lying, you'd miss me," Julia stated as if it was a well-known fact.

"I would." Replied after a few seconds.

Frankie's tone was serious and for a moment Julia felt herself drown in deep blue eyes. Was her mind playing tricks on her, or was there really a faint blush appearing on the other woman's face?

"Look at the road, Moore." _Smooth, so smooth. Idiot. _Frankie wanted to ask Julia to watch the Wilds game with her this weekend. Feeling her face heat up from their previous exchange, however, she decided she didn't want to embarrass herself further.

"Yes, Captain." Julia jokingly added a military salute to cap off the formal statement.

Both women were silent for a while, ignorant that their thoughts were oddly similar. They only spoke when Julia tried to convince Frankie to feed her a piece of bacon, which was immediately refused by the captain.

* * *

As the bell rang, Frankie threw her backpack over one shoulder and made her way out of the class quickly. She navigated herself between the sea of student bodies that littered the halls, some smelled better than others.

The Chemistry class she just had seemed excruciatingly long and made her want to stick a whole case of pencils in her eyes. She couldn't wait to meet up with Julia and her team for lunch.

Frankie finally spotted the small blonde woman, who stood with her back towards her, as she dug around for something in her locker.

With a grin, Frankie quietly stalked the woman until she was practically a hair's width away from her. The taller woman craned her head down, close to Julia's ear, "Hey."

Julia jumped up and turned around abruptly, staring at Frankie's grinning face. "Jesus, Frankie! You scared the shit out of me." She lightly punched the laughing woman's shoulder. _I swear this woman is a ninja._

"Jumpy are we?" Frankie teased with a laugh and watched as Julia grabbed her lunch, stuffed it in her bag and then held it up for the taller woman without looking. The captain accepted the bag, holding it against her side as Julia closed her locker's door and clipped the lock back on.

"More like hungry," Julia replied holding her hand to her stomach as if she hadn't eaten all day long.

Frankie shook her head, astonished by Julia's bottomless pit of a stomach. "_Of course_ you are, God forbid you didn't have anything to eat for ten whole minutes. Let's go feed the beast before it wrecks everything in its path."

Julia simply grinned at the taller woman as she took her backpack back from Frankie and threw it on her back. "Lead the way."

They started walking towards the cafeteria and Frankie decided she'd ask Julia about the game on Saturday before they met up with the rest of the Panthers for lunch. "So, did you wanna-"

"Jones! Moore!" Liz yelled as she jogged over towards her teammates.

_Great timing Liz. _Frankie grumbled silently, throwing a brief glare at the redhead.

"What's up?" Julia asked with a smile as Liz fell into step beside Frankie. She frowned upon seeing the brief but noticeable frown on Frankie's forehead. _What was that about?_

"Just joining you two love birds for lunch," the goalie admitted with a teasing smirk.

"_Liz_," Frankie warned, cursing herself for the blush that no doubt appeared on her face. Though she wasn't the only one affected by her friend's statement.

"I'm kidding, geez." _Someone's testy this morning_. It didn't escape the goalie that both women looked highly uncomfortable at her comment. It was truly one of the world's greatest mysteries, how both Frankie and Julia seemed to be the only two people in the world that were completely oblivious about their feelings towards each other. Liz wanted to push the issue, but she figured this wasn't the right time. Besides, she didn't want to eat alone.

The trio talked about their classes, hockey and other casual topics until they entered the large cafeteria. Round tables were placed around the open area, twelve chairs around each of them. Large windows covered the entirety of the north wall, looking out onto the football and soccer fields.

The kitchen was situated in the back of the cafeteria, on the East wall, where the lunch counter was also located. Red, white and black were the colours used to decorate the area, much like the rest of the school. There was a large Panther's varsity logo on the floor, as well as one of the walls to the entrance of the cafeteria.

Frankie led the two women towards a table next to the large windows where a few of their teammates were already seated. Julia and Liz sat on either side of her, while a couple of the guy's hockey team players also joined them.

"Ladies," the man greeted them and shared a fist bump with Frankie. Liam was the captain of the guy's team and a great defenseman. He stood tall and hefty and looked even more imposing on the ice with all his gear and the added height of the skates.

"'Sup?" Frankie asked, nodding at the two other players who also joined Liam at the table. One of them ruffled her hair before he walked around to an empty seat. She glared at him, though jokingly so.

"Big game next week, huh?" Liam asked as he unpacked the sandwich from its cellophane wrapping.

"I'm honestly glad we don't have to play against them," a shorter, dark-haired player admitted. Nate was their third line's left-winger. Energetic on the ice, yet clumsy.

The Lakeville South Amazons was the female team they were talking about. Their roster was filled with gargantuan skaters, built like bodybuilders and not hockey players. The rivalry between North and South started over ten years ago and was started over bad blood between the two coaches, who were also siblings.

"My dad told me they had a really strong team this year," Julia offered around a mouthful of pepperoni and cheese pizza.

"Yeah, _strong_ as in they're a bunch of brutes who'd pretend to trip to get you in the box," Liz huffed angrily. She hated having to find the puck when they crashed the net and effectively screened her view with their large bodies.

Julia raised an eyebrow, wondering if they were actually that bad. Truth be told, she was a bit lost as she hadn't paid much attention to junior hockey teams before joining the Panthers.

"Their captain is the definition of a hot-head. If fighting was allowed she'd throw the gloves down every damn time she's on the ice." Frankie explained, while the whole table nodded and agreed with her statement.

"It's going to be a rough game," Liz added.

"Come on, we're 5-0! We can win." Julia attempted to persuade the other players seated at the table.

"Let's be honest, this winning streak was too good to be true," one of the Panther's players said with a sad sigh.

"A moment of silence for our win streak," the captain said and the whole table fell into silence at the same time. Laughter soon erupted from one of them, which made the player beside them laugh, until everyone joined in.

"Y'all are so overdramatic," Julia chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "They're girls, just like us. If we work together, we can totally beat them!"

"Very tall, very strong girls that will run you over like a train," Liam added, almost fearfully.

"Someone tell miss optimistic over here," Frankie pointed at the petite blonde sitting next to her, "what the score was last time we played them."

"Let's not," Liz groaned and covered her face with both of her hands. "Worst day of my damn life," her words came out slightly muffled as she spoke behind her hands.

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad," Julia offered with a small smile, still thinking they were all exaggerating.

"10-0," one of the boys said flatly. There was a faraway look in his eyes as if the memories of that game flashed before his eyes just then.

"Oh," Julia replied in a small voice.

Frankie shook her head sadly and hoped she would one day completely erase that game from her memory.

Julia quietly sipped her drink, wondering just how big these girls were. Maybe she could just skate between their legs and breakaway past them easily. The image almost made her burst out laughing, but she covered it up with a cough.

Frankie turned and rose a brow at Julia, who simply responded with a wink. Frankie then teasingly elbowed the blonde's side, who chuckled and hit Frankie's thigh with her knee.

Everyone noticed the exchange, but no one was brave enough to say anything for fear of Frankie ordering them to do a hundred pushups during practice tonight. The girls remained oblivious to the curious eyes watching them.

"Are you going to eat all of that?" Julia asked. as hungry eyes peered down at the fries left on the captain's plate.

"You're _still_ hungry?" Frankie asked incredulously but nonetheless pushed her plate over the Julia.

"We have a practice tonight," Julia pointed out in an attempt to defend herself, though her heart wasn't all that into it really and Frankie didn't buy the excuse for a second.

Liz bit her tongue to keep her from blurting out something that would both embarrass them again. She knew Frankie all too well and she knows she wasn't going to ever tell the small blonde how she feels about her. She made a note to talk to Frankie about it. _No one as pretty as Julia is going to wait around for you forever, Frank. _

* * *

The locker room was buzzing with energy, as it usually was before practice. Most of the girls were not only fans of hockey but positively obsessed with the sport. The best part of their day was getting ready for practice and throwing friendly insults at each other.

The doors opened and a winded Stacey stepped inside. She threw her bag in front of her locker and quickly started to get dressed.

"You're late."

Stacey jumped at the voice in her ear, wondering if the woman had teleported beside her. "Come on Frank, it's ten minutes past."

"You're still late," Frankie replied sternly, arms crossed over her chest. She had her shoulder and elbow pads on over her white, long-sleeved athletic shirt. Her shin guards were on, while her skates were half laced up.

With a loud groan, Stacey took off her jacket, kneeled down and propped herself up on her hands. She knew better than to challenge the captain in front of the entire team.

After twenty push-ups, Stacy sat back on her knees and huffed a puff of warm air and attempted to get her breathing under control. She had wanted to knock them out quickly, but her arms were already on fire.

"Why are you stoppin'?" Frankie asked. "You got ten left. Get 'em done."

"Give me...a minute." Stacey was almost angry enough to forget her unreciprocated feelings towards her captain.

Frankie dropped down to one knee next to the woman. "Come on," she nodded her head, urging her to continue.

An annoyed sigh was expelled from her mouth, but Stacey relented and went back onto her hands again and then stuck her feet close to each other as she pumped out the last remaining push-ups.

Frankie pressed a hand in the middle of her back. "Keep your back straight. Five more." She applied a bit of pressure to make it harder on the woman, chuckling when she heard Stacey's angry grunts.

The player sat back on her knees once more, taking in a deep breath. The rise and fall of her chest was rapid from the exhaustion her captain had just put her through. She shot daggers Frankie, who clapped a hand on Stacey's shoulder as she stood up.

"Nice work," Frankie laughed as she walked to the bench and took a seat next to Julia, who was putting on her shin guards.

The blonde lifted her head, grinning at the woman. She could see the amused twinkle in the woman's blue eyes. "You're _evil_."

"They know the rules." Frankie shrugged, pretending she didn't enjoy what she had to do. She knew Julia would see right through her lie - perhaps it was the giant smirk on her lips that gave her away?

"You're still evil."

Frankie bent over to finish tying up her laces. "One day you'll appreciate what I do," she grunted quietly as she tightly gripped the laces and pulled them up roughly.

Julia watched the captain's strong forearms flexed and then relaxed repeatedly as Frankie's hands pulled on her laces tightly. _I already appreciate what you do_. Horrified with her own thoughts, Julia, however, thanked God that the words didn't slip past her lips.

Knowing the rest of the team was busy chattering and poking fun at the now exhausted Stacey, Frankie saw it as her chance to finally ask Julia about the game on Saturday. "Hey, did you wanna, maybe go-"

The Panther's coach entered the locker room, interrupting the conversations as he shouted: "Alright ladies, hurry it up. If you're not on the ice in ten we're doing suicide drills all evening!"

_What did I do to deserve this? _Frankie cursed under her breath as she quickly put on the remainder of her gear.

* * *

Frankie sat down in the truck wordlessly, letting out a deep sigh as she lifted her feet up on the dash. She was positively exhausted from practice as, true to his word, the coach made them skate up and down the ice for forty-five minutes straight.

She understood his mindset though; you fail as a team and get punished as a team. And perhaps it was her fault, she was responsible to make sure they were all ready to go on time, but she was beyond furious at the third interruption today she couldn't focus on anything else.

Julia's rested her head against the headrest while her hands loosely held the wheel in front of her. They sat there for a long moment, neither women wanted to move as their muscles still burned from the exercise. "That was fun."

"Hmm," Frankie grunted, eyes closed.

"Can we just sleep here?" Julia groaned.

"Hmm."

Julia slowly turned her head to stare at the passenger. Frankie's eyes were still closed and she wasn't sure if the woman had actually fallen asleep or not. "Hey," she spoke softly, "you wanted to ask me something? Back in the locker room."

_Right. _Frankie turned towards the driver and peered into a pair of exhausted green eyes. _Here goes._ She was too tired to even think about fearing rejection. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to watch the game with me on Saturday."

Julia blinked slowly, smiling lazily at the woman. "They're playing the Habs right?"

"Yeah. We're gonna get destroyed." Frankie sighed and turned away to stare at the brightly lit parking lot.

"Sure, sounds fun. And you don't know that we could do really well." Julia offered, always the optimist.

"Right," Frankie drawled out with a tired voice, though she was sure her heart was going to jump out of her throat. _She said yes? I didn't imagine it?_

"You're just tired and grumpy," Julia teased as she finally sat up.

"I am _not_ grumpy."

"Whatever you say," the blonde winked at the captain, who dangerously narrowed her eyes at her but didn't say anything. Both women stared at each other for a moment, almost challenging the other.

"Take me home, driver." Frankie's serious expression turned into a full-blown grin as she felt Julia lightly hit her arm at the comment she made.

Julia put on their playlist before driving away from the school's parking lot. They were both silent for most of the ride, listening to the lyrics softly playing on the speakers.

Since Julia had already accepted her offer, Frankie decided to try and push her luck once more. She was a gambling woman, after all. "We could go to Dave's, they're probably gonna show the game."

"I love their smoked meat!" Julia Happily announced.

_Of course, food is the first thing she would think of. _"Cool, pick me up at 7?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Frankie turned to gaze out of the window in an attempt to hide the grin on her face from the blonde. She felt the same way she did when scoring the winning goal of a close game.


	4. Chapter 4

"Frank! Are you gonna come out of there someday?"

The loud voice belonging to one of her brothers came from the other side of the door and roused the young woman out of her thoughts.

"That depends on your offer." She countered.

Frankie had been lying in bed for most of the morning and spent her time cursing her life choices. She was beginning to wonder if it was possible for an eighteen-year-old to spontaneously die of a cardiac arrest. Today was Saturday, the day or her self-labelled 'not-date-date' with Julia.

She had woken up this morning looking forward to hanging out with her until her brain decided to play a dirty trick on her and remind the captain of all the ways it could go wrong. Frankie was also seemingly very creative in coming up with horrible ways the small blonde could openly reject her. Even if all of those thoughts were far fetched and highly improbable, her brain didn't seem to get the memo.

"Let's shoot some pucks." He replied.

With an over-exaggerated sigh, Frankie jumped off of her bed and walked towards her door. She stretched her arms above her head, not caring about her dishevelled appearance. She was wearing an old pair of sweats a grey hoodie.

Frankie opened the door and looked up at Justin. He was older by one year, though he always acted like it was a ten-year difference. He had pale blue eyes, just like hers, but stood a few feet taller than his sister. "You have my attention."

"You look like shit." He remarked with a grin, though he hid his concern.

"Nevermind," Frankie closed the door in his face.

"Frank, you're all I have. Don't leave me!" Justin slapped his hand on the door and could hear his sister chuckle on the other side.

The woman rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but laugh Justin's overdramatization of the situation. They both often joked about Ben, and how he's the 'other brother' since he chose to pursue an athletic career in a lesser sport. Anything that wasn't hockey to the Jones family, was blasphemy.

"I'll be out in a minute." After she tied her hair in a loose bun, Frankie made her way down the stairs and entered the kitchen where Justin was waiting for her.

"Coffee?" He offered while he poured himself a cup.

"I'm not senile like you. I don't need it." The young woman shot back. In truth, it wouldn't help her nerves even if she did want some.

Chuckling, Justin brought the warm liquid caffeine to his lips. "Yet. You don't need it _yet_."

Frankie simply grunted a reply as she dug into the fridge to tame whatever beast had taken up residence in her stomach. _I've been hanging around Julia too much. _

However, the simple thought of the small blonde reminded her just how nervous Frankie was about tonight. _I can't live like this. Kill me now. _

Justin sat down on the end of the kitchen table and observed his sister as he quietly sipped on his coffee. He watched as she quickly, and in one of the sloppiest manners he's ever seen, put something you would usually call a sandwich together. "You look green. Are you sick?"

"No." Frankie sat on the other end of the table and glanced outside. _Still no snow. _It was near the end of October Lakeville was usually hit with the first snowfall around Halloween.

"Then what's wrong?" Just pried.

"She has a date!" Ben yelled as he walked into the kitchen right after he came barrelling down the stairs - making it sound like there was a horde of elephants following him.

H_ow the hell? _Frankie glared at her brother who had decided to grace them with his presence while she angrily chewed on her sandwich.

"You left your phone in the living room last night." He pointed out with a shrug. Ben had the same height and stature as both of his siblings. He was the only one in this family who was remotely interested in American Football. Though they enjoy teasing him endlessly about it, they watched his games and cheered him on regardless.

"It's not a date," Frankie grumbled.

"What's that blush for then?" Justin shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"Piss off," she shot back.

"Details," Ben sat down next to his sister. "We want details."

"You both are worse than girls, I swear," Frankie remarked with an eye roll.

"We only have one of you," Justin pointed out. "Who would we torment if you wouldn't be here?"

"Come on." Ben urged, lightly shoving the woman's shoulder. He knew from reading the few texts he saw who it was, but he didn't pay much attention to the when and where.

"Julia," Frankie sighed, "we're gonna watch the game at Dave's tonight."

Justin let out a gasp, "you're not watching the game with me? Traitor!"

"I thought we agreed _he _was the traitor." Frankie nodded her head at Ben, who glared back at her in response.

The Football player sighed. "I'm adopted."

"Obviously," both Frankie and Justin piped up in unison.

After a few quiet moments, Ben was the first one to speak up. "Seriously though Frank, the girl picks you up every morning and brings you back every night.

"Oh yeah, she's a goner," Justin added.

"Jones's charm is hard at work," Ben continued.

Frankie leaned back in her seat, uncharacteristically shy as she crossed her arms over her chest. "She doesn't exactly know it's a date."

"Then make sure she knows," Justin offered, somewhat helpfully. He was surprised by his sister's openness. Usually, they needed to bug her for hours to get anything out of her, especially when it came to her love life. Even then, she'd often just storm off and exiled herself in her room, no doubt to stare out of the window with a sombre expression like a personified Coldplay song.

"How?" _I can't believe I'm talking about this with them. _The captain was embarrassed, but she figured it would be less awkward with her brothers than with her father.

"End the night with a kiss!" Ben answered happily and planted a kiss of his own, right on her cheek.

Grunting in disgust, Frankie wiped her cheek with the back of her sleeve. "I hate you both."

* * *

Frankie sat on the wooden bench on the porch and hoped the crisp October wind would relax her, yet it did nothing to ease her nerves. She hated overthinking this much and knew she would enjoy the evening way more if she'd just let it go. Rationality was not present at this moment, and the young woman prayed for its prompt return.

A car horn broke her out of her thoughts and Frankie was up on her feet in an instant. She jumped in the passenger's seat and there was a brief moment where she could feel her own heart beating in her chest. But when Julia turned to great her with a bright smile, every worry faded away just as quickly as it came.

"I brought you coffee." Julia pointed to the paper cup sitting in the cupholder between them.

"You're perfect." Frankie brought the cup to her lips, thankful that the blonde seemed to always know when she needed caffeine the most. Fatigue slowly crept over her after the afternoon she spent shooting pucks with her brother, and this was exactly what she needed to prevent her from embarrassing herself and falling asleep halfway through the second period.

It wasn't the delectable taste of Tim Horton's coffee she had grown up with, as the stores closed down officially that summer, but it was caffeine and it did the job.

Julia turned her attention away from Frankie to focus on the road ahead. "About time you noticed."

_I noticed a long time ago. _Frankie chuckled and wondered how she almost drove herself insane all day when their interactions felt natural just as they always have been. Perhaps, nothing had to change after tonight.

The captain wondered why she tried so hard to label what tonight meant for their relationship when neither woman ever brought up the subject of their closeness. Liz was pushing it because that's what Liz does, which made Frankie wonder when she started listening to others when it came to her personal life.

Her usual approach was to let things develop naturally, but it seemed everyone around her was dead set on pushing both women together before they were truly ready. Relationships take a lot of work and a lot of time. With school and hockey, both Julia and Frankie were extremely busy.

Despite her feelings towards the blonde, Frankie knew perhaps right now wasn't the best time to confess anything - even if she had felt drawn to Julia for longer than she was willing to admit to herself.

Frankie took a deep breath after another sip of warm coffee as she relaxed back into her seat and enjoyed the rest of the quiet but comfortable ride. Once they arrived at the restaurant and walked in, the captain was relieved she had called to reserve a table since it looked like it was already packed.

"I'm surprised this many people showed up to watch the game," Frankie glanced around as they were lead to a booth - most of the customers were wearing team jerseys or shirts.

Julia ordered them coffee and thanked the waiter as she took off her jacket. She was still wearing her usual t-shirt and flannel, but for this special occasion, she chose to wear her Wild trucker cap with her hair up in a ponytail.

"Sounds like someone didn't have enough caffeine." Julia teased as she sat down on the booth bench and pushed her discarded jacket next to her.

Frankie frowned as she removed her zip-up hoodie, revealing the Wild's logo on a dark, green long-sleeved shirt underneath. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Julia smiled innocently as she leaned forward on the table, holding her head up with her hand. "You're grouchy."

"Am not." The captain grumbled. She wanted to be positive about tonight's game, but couldn't find a single efficient thing about the way the Wild have been playing since the season started.

"You really are." _But it's kinda cute_, Julia thought to herself.

"At least _I_ don't have a problem coming to terms that our team sucks." Frankie retorted as she leaned forward on the table. When she locked eyes with the small blonde, she wondered why she felt incredibly idiotic for psyching herself out about that evening.

"There's a difference between delusion and hope, _captain_," Julia replied pointedly.

"Sounds about the same to me," Frankie chuckled as she tapped the bill of Julia's cap, making it fall further over her eyes.

Laughing, Julia pulled her cap up just as the waiter was coming back with their drinks and menus. "Let's make a bet."

They both thanked the waiter as they left to serve another table. The blonde added entirely too much sugar in her coffee, if you asked Frankie, while the captain preferred it black with just a bit of cream.

"Go on." Frankie took a sip of her coffee to test the taste. She deemed it perfect and took a larger gulp this time.

Julia grabbed the cup in both of her hands, warming up her hands. Maybe it was the coffee, but she felt a little giddy. More than usual, that is. "If we lose, I'll pay for your dinner."

"And if we win?" Frankie rose an eyebrow, but she already knew what the answer was going to be.

"You pay," the blonde answered matter-of-factly.

"Deal," Frankie lifted her hand between then and they shook on it over their coffee cups. "Can't turn down free food."

"We'll see." Julia felt the warmth radiating from Frankie's hand and she wondered how they could be so warm when the temperature outside was less than forgiving - November was just around the corner.

"You're too optimistic for your own good."

With a shrug, Julia hid her grin behind her cup as she took another sip. "I balance your grouchiness."

"Right," Frankie drawled as she rose an eyebrow. "And what would I do without you?"

"That's a scary thought," Julia joked in an overdramatic tone.

The waiter interrupted their back and forth banter and took their order, while they refiled both of the player's coffee cups. Casual chatter stopped as everyone focused on the big screens just as both teams got ready for the first face-off of the game.

The game started quick and intense, the Wilds missing an opportunity to score in the first few minutes. Frankie and Julia both voiced their disappointment, much like everyone else around them.

The Canadiens caught the first penalty and because of it, Jason Zucker was able to put one in the net from a rebound. Frankie and Julia both shot up from their seats and shared a high five.

Julia intently watched the concentration on Frankie's face as she watched the game. As if she felt the green eyes on her, Frankie turned her head towards Julia and simply winked at her. _How does she always know? _Julia was starting to think the dark-haired woman had some kind of sixth sense.

The first period came to an end, 1-0 for the St-Paul team. More coffee was ordered, but at this point, Frankie didn't need any help to stay awake. The pair both finished their food during the intermission, sharing their thoughts about the game and both team's performances during the first period.

The second period was rocky for the Wild, as they took a bad penalty and gave up their lead on the power play. The second goal the Habs scored was caused by Minnesota giving up a turnover in their defensive end.

Zucker missed an opportunity to score near the end of the period, however, with ten-second remaining on the clock Foligno scored as his teammate threw him a perfect pass on Kinkaid's left. The goal was wide open.

"Alright! That's how you end a period." Julia cheered, raising her cup in front of her.

"Hell ya!" Frankie clinked her mug with the blonde's as they shared a laugh.

The young players both knew it was demoralizing to go into a second period lagging behind one goal, and that's just what the Wild needed to turn the momentum around. The second period ended with both teams tied at 2-2.

The habs quickly answered back with a goal of their own at the start of the third, but they also took another penalty. The Wild's power-play unit went to work and tied the game 3-3 halfway through the last period. Zack Parise's goal put them ahead, and the Wild's losing streak was officially over.

Not a soul stayed seated at the end of the game. Without thinking, Julia practically threw herself into Frankie's arms. She felt the taller woman's arms wrap around her and then lifted her up from the ground effortlessly.

When Julia's feet hit the ground again, she looked up at the woman who towered over her. She let her hands lightly grip the back of Frankie's shirt as they stood there in the embrace, unmoving.

Frankie's eyes shone a bright blue colour, the excitement and happiness clearly displayed on her face from the win. It was the same expression she was used to seeing on the dark-haired woman every time she scored a goal.

Julia had all but forgotten they weren't alone in the restaurant packed with cheering hockey fans. She felt safe and warm in the taller woman's arms and selfishly, she didn't want to move away.

Frankie wasn't sure if it was the obscene amount of caffeine buzzing through her body that made her feel this warm, or if it was the petite blonde's body pressed flush against hers.

Despite her own advice, Frankie let herself get pulled in by the delicate and now familiar smell she associated with Julia. She wasn't sure if it was perfume, but nonetheless, it made Frankie want to pull the smaller woman closer against her.

The captain didn't want to let go, not yet. She gazed down into emerald eyes and for a short second, she could swear Julia was able to read her mind. Or perhaps they simply shared the same thought.

Frankie felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness wash over her, wanting to shield Julia from the dangers of the world like a warrior protecting an innocent girl.

The young woman wasn't sure if that's what love felt like, and yet what scared her the most wasn't that particular thought. It was the fact that she knew the smile they just shared had changed something, and there would be no going back.

Her feelings for the blonde were loud and clear and Frankie was powerless to ignore them, despite her earlier attempt to brush them off.

"You owe me dinner." Julia took a step back and immediately missed the warmth of Frankie's body.

"I'll _happily_ take that loss," Frankie chuckled. Even though their home team could have played a bit safer during the game, their offensive lines did some great work out on the ice and she was proud of them.

Julia was also extremely happy about the win, yet something told her this evening would still have been amazing even if the Wild would have gotten the L. "We should do this more often."

"I would have paid for your dinner anyways." _Is that how you make sure she knows it's a date? Damn, I'm so bad at this._

"Is that so?" Julia teased lightly.

"I asked you out, it's only fair." Frankie's eyes traced the blonde's face, looking for any sign that would tell her if she was on the right track or not. Thankfully, Julia was very expressive (and the rosy tint on her cheeks was also a good indicator).

"It better not be the last time." Julia was taken aback by the seemingly flirty comment. The captain usually didn't give anything away with words, which forced the young woman to learn how to read those deep blue eyes.

"It won't be," Frankie replied seriously. Something told her, as she mirrored Julia's grin, that this was just the beginning. _Maybe I'm not so bad at this after all. _

* * *

Frankie skated towards center ice for the opening face-off. She glanced towards the Panther's bench and found green eyes already watching her. Smiling, the Captain then turned towards the Amazon's center.

"Jones," the woman said. She was the Amazon's alternate captain, and probably the more lithe player on their team. Curly locks of blonde hair were hidden underneath the protective helmet.

"Riley," Frankie replied with a nod. The blonde was the only player on that team that wasn't a complete goon, or a complete ass.

The puck dropped and with a reverse grip on her stick, Frankie quickly passed it back to one of the players on defence. She skated towards the blue offensive line and saw that Stacey was running the puck down and didn't notice where her other teammates were. "Offside!" The captain yelled and hit the ice with her stick, demanding a pass.

Without a second thought, the winger passed it to Frankie who skated right into the Amazon's offensive zone with Riley hot on her tail. She lifted her head up just in time to see a large body blocking her path. The blonde player lifted her stick and stole the puck, then made a quick pass to her own winger.

Frankie heard Riley's shout over the sounds of ice skates digging into the ice below. "It won't be that easy, Frank."

"Dammit!" Frankie cursed and quickly skated back down the ice to help her teammates on defence. She usually enjoyed the banter between them, but Frankie's main goal tonight was to keep her team from a monumental embarrassment, like last time the rival team had faced each other.

Just as she crossed the blue line in the Panther's defensive end, however, the Amazons were already celebrating the first goal of the game. Frankie skated towards her players as anger was shining in her eyes, like bolts of electricity.

"We can't let them bombard Liz with pucks all night. Keep them the fuck out!" Frankie took her mouthguard out and chewed on it as she made her way to the face-off circle once more. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down.

"Don't be so hard on them," Riley remarked knowingly.

"Let me do my damn job." Frankie won the face-off again, pushing her shoulder into Riley's chest as she snapped the puck to Stacey with her skate. She and Frankie were good friends outside of the rivalry games and sometimes she wondered if the Amazon knew her a little too well.

Frankie finished her shift already exhausted. They were able to get a few shots off and keep the Amazons from scoring again, but the large players were making their dominant presence known on the ice.

The captain stopped in front of the Panther's bench, placing a gloved hand on Julia's shoulder just as she hopped over the half board. "They'll cut you off two at a time, wait for backup."

Julia nodded, silently thanking the captain as she took her position on the right side of the circle in their own defensive end after Liz froze a slap shot.

She remembered the Coach's brief advice before the game started. _Do your best, support your teammates and crash the net. _He was a man of few words when it came to so-called 'motivational speeches' before a hard game - and that's what she admired the most about it. He didn't sugar coat anything and went straight to the important information.

"Jewels!" The petite blonde caught the pass on her stick and noticed two of the Amazons players skating towards her. Julia quickly scanned the ice and passed the puck back to the left-winger who was now open and crossed the blue line.

The players were still on her but she was able to skate past them. She caught a quick pass and shot at the goal. The puck flew right into the goaltender's mitt and play was stopped by a whistle. Coming to a stop near the goal, Julia felt a large body crash into her shoulder which pushed her into the Amazon's goalie who was turned around, taking a swig of water from her bottle.

"What the hell!" The goalie yelled.

"Sorry, I-" She felt another push against her back and Julia was about ready to throw her gloves down. _Eject me from the game, I don't care, I'm not dealing with these assholes._

Frankie got up from the bench and skated towards the referee without her helmet or gloves. "They _pushed_ her into the goalie, where's the damn penalty?" Frankie growled, however, her glare was directed at the two smirking players from the opposing team.

"They were skating too fast and bumped into each other," the referee replied.

"You _son_ of a-"

"Frank!" Julia shouted, then grabbed the taller woman's hand with her glove. "It's fine, let it go."

Frankie turned towards the Amazon's bench, raking her eyes over every player until she found Riley. "Put a leash on them," she snarled and reluctantly made her way back to the bench, barely hearing the insults shouted at her from the opposing team's bench.

The Amazon's arena resembled theirs, though the colours were completely different. White, grey, and yellow. The area behind the boards was packed tight, even more than usual for a regular season varsity game. Though the only thing she heard was her heart beating in her ears.

It was one thing to be rough while playing, but targeting Julia was not going to sit well with Frankie. Especially since she knew they were doing it because she was their leading goal scorer this season. The Amazons did what they did best, make people scared to grab the puck and shoot.

She could see Julia was getting frustrated, but it seemed the right-winger was better at containing her anger than she was. Frankie watched Julia like a hawk during her shift. The Panther's second line successfully kept them out of their zone and took every scoring chance away from them, but in the last ten minutes of the game, the Amazons scored another two goals.

The locker room was silent, every player clearly disappointed with how they had been playing so far. Frankie took it worse than everyone else.

The coach entered the room, knowing he needed to cheer up his team to keep them from being too frustrated and making more mistakes. "I know it was a rough first period, but I'm going to make some changes to the lines."

Richard had seen Julia and Frankie practice together often and heard it from other players as well. He knew they had good chemistry and the new player had proved herself enough in the past months. Jones being their only 2-way forward, he thought it was the perfect offensive team to get their scoring changes going. "Moore, I'm putting on the first line with Frankie and Stacey."

"Yes coach," Julia beamed, throwing a smile at Frankie who simply nodded at her. There was an intensity in the other woman's eyes she hadn't seemed before. At first, she thought it was anger, but she figured out it was focus and determination.

"Jones," The coach nodded at the young woman, "make sure she gets past those defenders. Rough them up if you need to, just get her in a good shooting position."

"Got it, coach. They won't know what hit 'em." Frankie answered.

"Be careful, don't lose your cool out there."

"I won't." Perhaps it was easier said than done, but with the change in lines, Frankie felt a bit more confident they could get more shots on goal and she wouldn't have to fight off the urge to jump on the ice every time one of the Amazons checked the blonde a bit too hard.

After their somewhat official date last Saturday, both women started being a little more comfortable flirting with each other and Frankie became more and more protective of the blonde.

Liz noticed, but she knew better than to ask. Their closeness made people talk even more than before, still unbeknownst to the two players in question. The goaltender was starting to get tired of hearing false accounts and exaggerated stories, yet there was only so much she could do to shut rumours down. She could only pray they would figure out their feelings soon.

"Let's get back to it, ladies! Let's show them what we got."

The players went out of the locker room much more energetic than when they came in. Frankie and Julia both stepped on the ice together for the first time in a game, and the Amazons immediately noticed the change. So did their coach, who simply raised a defiant eyebrow at Richard from across the ice.

Frankie took her place in the center, while Julia skated to her right.

"Who's your friend?" Riley asked with an amused smile.

"You'll find out soon enough," Frankie smirked.

Riley chuckled and noticed the dark-haired woman looked visibly more relaxed than the last period.

The Amazon's center won the face-off, but Julia was quick to intercept a pass going to Riley's right-winger. Frankie nodded at Julia and blocked the defensive player coming after her.

The small blonde managed to break away, skate past the blue line and throw a quick wrister than landed in the back of the net, top right.

The Panther's bench light up with cheers, as they all stood up and hit the sticks against the half board.

Julia felt a strong body crash into hers, but this time it wasn't unwanted. She turned her head and caught sight of a grinning Frankie, who encircled her shoulders with her arm. "Three more like that and it'll be an even game."

"Only three? Let's make it five," Julia replied with a large smile.

"You better not miss a pass," Frankie teased the winger with a wink.

"I won't." There was something about the pride in Frankie's eyes that felt immensely better and more powerful than any congratulations she received from the coach. The rest of the line joined the celebration and went right back to center ice for another face off again, as their shift had only just begun.

The Moore and Jones duo wreaked havoc on the ice during their shifts and were able to tie up the game by the end of the second period. The Amazons had a hard time getting to Julia as, true to her word, Frankie protected the tiny blonde and made sure she was able to safely get her in the slot or making passes right on the goalie's doorstep.

The second period ended and both teams retreated to their respective locker rooms to wind down from the period. The mood was considerably different than the first intermission. Julia sat down and removed her jersey and most of her protective gear to let them breathe and prevent them from soaking up all her sweat.

"You smiled," Julia remarked as she watched a winded Frankie undo her skates. She noticed the captain would always take them off during intermissions. Julia never needed too, she felt more comfortable in them and wouldn't have to lace them again.

"I didn't smile, I was wincing." Frankie attempted to defend herself, though it didn't seem that the blonde was buying it. Frankie started wondering if she could actually read her mind. "They're harder than they look."

Julia laughed as before she took a long swig out of her water bottle. "You checked her against the boards and you smiled."

"I knew you were gonna score after I got the puck from her." The captain lied again, yet a bit more convincingly this time.

"You _hit_ her and you smiled." Julia accused. One of the players on the third line came up to her, interrupting their conversation to congratulate her on the awesome goals. They shared a brief fist bump and the woman left.

Frankie sighed as she pushed the skates off of her feet and leaned back against the wall. She grasped the water bottle next to her on the wooden bench and nearly missed her mouth as she squeezed the water out to drink. She couldn't help but chuckle from the look Julia was giving her, knowing she saw all of that.

"Your point?" Frankie asked innocently, with a toothy grin.

"I'm just surprised you're not on defence," Julia shrugged casually, "that's all."

Frankie had considered playing on defence, as her height and build would have made her a great candidate for the position. However, the head coach marked her as a two-way forward early on when she joined the team three years ago. "What can I say? I got many skills."

"I'll be the judge of that," Julia shot back. Their flirtatious comments were becoming a common occurrence ever since the other night. She wasn't sure if it was presumptuous of her to call Saturday's diner a date, but she hoped it was.

"Oh really?" Frankie drawled. "When?"

"You can't rush these things, Frank."

"I can think of a few ways to _rush _things."

Both girls laughed and teasingly shoved each other on the bench.

The coach entered the room, a smile on his face. "Great work out there everyone! Don't overextend, keep the exact same pace as last period. Let's go Panthers!" The players stood up and cheered along with their coach, some a bit louder than others. It was always a great feeling to tie up a game at the end of a period against a really tough team.

The third period was hard on everyone as exhaustion started to hinder the player's focus and overall energy on the ice. Frankie's body started to hurt from the hits she both took and gave and Julia's legs felt like they were about to fall off.

Still, they managed to keep it together and about halfway through Frankie scored on a one-timer, Julia getting the assist. She winded up a snapshot and slapped the puck so hard, she wasn't even sure it had gone in until she saw the goalie hit the goal boast in anger.

The game ended with the Panthers coming out victorious as they were able to protect their lead for the last ten minutes of the game.

Judging by the cheers in the locker room, you would think they had just won a championship game. Defeating a rivalry team, one that has a roster of very good players, felt just as good. For the first time in her life, Julia was surrounded by friends, even those who took a while to warm up to her at first, and was exactly where she belonged.

Frankie casually threw an arm around her and that solidified feeling like she was part of the Panther's family. More than that, as she slipped her arm around the woman's taught midsection, it definitely solidified her feelings for the dark-haired woman. _I'm in trouble, aren't I?_

* * *

**A/N: ****Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was considerably longer than all the others. But as I can't write anything briefly, they seem to just get bigger and bigger. Also, who can spot all the Xena easter eggs? :O**


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